Live Life Team
For anyone who has enjoyed the music of Chess Records, this movie is a must-see.
The film tells the tale of the Cadillac Records label and its rise from obscurity to national fame. It contains the music of a long-lost era as it was performed by the original musicians that made it famous. Just a smattering of the artists featured in the film includes the legendary Chuck Berry, played by Mos Def and the unforgettable Etta James, played by Beyonce Knowles.
The film may seem like a documentary, but it is not. It contains many fictionalized elements and vital facts in the Chess Records history are omitted. It is the somewhat glamorized tale of Leonard Chess, the founder of Chess Records, as he lays down the roots of his upstart record company in the tough city of Chicago in the late 1940’s. It is basically the story of the many intricate relationships, and how they must function together to establish a unique sound in the highly competitive music industry.
Similar to the rise of the Motown Sound, this story focuses on the day-to-day personality struggles that must be overcome if a goal is to be achieved. It is the story of how one man put together just the right combination of people, and got them working together, to make the dreams of each one of them come true.
It is certainly not a factual picture of Chess Records, nor is it intended to be. It glosses over certain parts of the history of Chess Records, and instead focuses on mainly the positive stories that came out of the era when Rhythm and Blues was a struggling genre in American music.
As long as one is not looking for a totally factual, unbiased telling of the Chess Records saga, this film is certainly one that is worth seeing – if for no other reason than enjoying the music that made the Chess label famous.
